Not all Firsts are the Same and that rings true very much so on this super fun commercial we got to create for Pilot Mortgage Group. We have been working with the brand for a while, in fact, we came up with brand identity, the messaging, the campaign and the commercials. We even built the website - which Mark is pretty proud of. One thing we always want to take time to do is talk about and share the things we learned from our various shoots... so here it goes... 5 things we learned from our most recent campaign "NOT ALL FIRSTS ARE THE SAME"
When we first came up with the concept for the commercial Mark wanted to keep the content relevant to the West Coast but at the same time be applicable to the East Coast should Pilot expand. One way to do that, don't rely to heavily on scenery that pigeon holes you, hence, the Ladner rain tower shot.
Our poor cyclist has succumb to her first flat tire on a backroad in the middle of nowhere. She has no cell reception and to make things worth, it starts to pour rain. Enter, the rain tower! So, rain towers are awesome but there was an important lesson here... make sure you test, test and retest before you roll the camera. See, in order for rain to appear natural it has to come down thick, and for that to happen you need a water truck, a rain tower and some rain wands. Positioning the rain wands to support the rain tower is crucial and fortunately we had some experts there to help us. I think we nailed the shot.
Sadly, this lesson was expensive. One of the negatives of shooting in the rain is getting water droplets on your lens. When this happens you practically ruin your shot and end up throwing away the footage. Thats why we couldn't be more grateful for the brilliant minds who invented the rain spinner. Essentially, a clear filter that spins at a super high RPM flinging any water droplets off the lease before it registers with the sensor. Now, as you can imagine, if that spinner spins and touches your solid metal lens it leaves a permanent scratch. Well that, happened and the takeaway cost I between $400 - $600 to repair it.
This is targeted at up and coming production companies and freelances. ALWAYS GET A PERMIT and here is why. Of course we have all done it, the run and gun, but if you want to grow your business and be taken seriously you need to commit to following as many rules as possible. See what I did there... sure, sometimes you just need to sneak a shot to complete a task and beauocracy stands in the way. But if possible, always get the permits so you can fulfill your obligations to your insurance provider and protect yourself and your client.
Thanks again for joining us and I hope you liked our recent commercial for Pilot.
